Even in a bloody conflict responsible for killing at least 25 people — some of them innocent bystanders — Dec. 31, 2007 stands out for its violence.

The day started with the killing of veteran FOB Killers (FK) gang member Mark Kim in a downtown alleyway and ended with two FK gunmen firing nearly 20 shots at two rival FOB figures on a residential street in Sandstone. The targets, Matthew Chubak and Tyler MacDonald, weren’t hit, but one of them managed to fire back and wound one of the FK gunmen, Vinh Tung Truong.

A third shooting that afternoon in Forest Lawn has never been solved but is more than likely connected. At about 3:40 p.m., someone fired several shots in the parking lot of the Little Saigon mall at 4909 17th Avenue S.E. When police arrived, all that was left were two shot-up vehicles. Given what happened to Kim earlier that day and what transpired later, it’s a good bet the Forest Lawn shooting is connected.

When Truong, 30, pleaded guilty Monday to shooting at Chubak and MacDonald, the evidence that came out in court briefly opened the door on the world the gangsters live in.

At its most basic, the events of Dec. 31, 2007 embody the swift retribution and casual violence that was common at the height of the gang war. However, more interestingly, the episode offers a rare glimpse of the relationship between FK and one of the B.C. Mainland’s most notorious crime groups at that time, the United Nations gang.

Police in Calgary have acknowledged the ties between FK and the UN for a long time, but the case — along with reporting by the Vancouver Sun’sKim Bolan, an authoritative chronicler of the Lower Mainland’s gang scene — shows the alliance in action.

Evidence entered in support of Truong’s guilty plea states after he was wounded while shooting at Chubak and MacDonald, he showed up at Vancouver General Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his left hip area. Truong initially told Vancouver police he was wounded at a rave in Vancouver, but later admitted he was shot in Calgary.

It’s not like gang members to be so forthcoming with police, so why did Truong and his story break down so easily?

An article written by Bolan in 2009 connects the dots: police wiretaps at the time captured UN gang leader Clay Roueche calling a naturopath, seeking off-the-books medical treatment for Truong.

Here are details of voicemails Roueche left for Dr. Jonas LaForge, from Bolan’s article:

“Hey bro, it’s me, ah, it’s a bit of an emergency if you could text me back whatever time you are available tomorrow, I gotta handle something right away, all expenses paid and all that, so call me as you can, OK? Bye,” Roueche said in his first call to the number of Dr. Jonas LaForge on New Year’s Eve, 2007.

An hour later Roueche left a second message for LaForge, indicating his “bro” had been shot.

“Hello. I have a friend here, uh, in town, I need to see you tomorrow, oh, middle abdomen, no exit, uh, that’s all I know.”

Roueche eventually reached LaForge, but not before someone resorted to taking Truong to the hospital — a fateful decision that got authorities involved and gave them grounds to get a blood sample that eventually tied him to the Calgary shooting.

Clay Roueche

With Roueche and several key UN players behind bars, it’s an open question how much of a force the gang remains in B.C.’s underworld. FK has a share of its own members in prison, but at least two — Michael Oduneye and Marcel Lanrdy — appeared headed to the West Coast, where they would remain under community supervision until their sentences expire next year. (Their actual whereabouts aren’t disclosed in parole documents made available to the media.)

Many FOB and FK members have told authorities they want to finish their sentences in other provinces, presumably to get out of the gang life. Given the relationship between FK members and gangsters in the Lower Mainland, one has to wonder about the sincerity of anyone heading to Vancouver.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.